Little Asia
Key Sites
College of Asian Studies (chi'n ta base)
See the link to the left on chi'n ta.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 7
The Hung Family Kwoon (martial arts school)
From the street, passersby see the large painted picture window of the Hung Family Kwoon. The main window is decorated with the image of a Chinese tiger fighting a dragon. They are placed upon a background of the yin-yang. To the left of this window lies the entrance. Walking inside, a visitor is greeted with ornate Ming vases and Chinese statuary. The open-ended front desk and reception area gives one a nice view of the kwoon hall, offering comfortable chairs and a sofa. The main training hall stands divided into five areas: one padded-floor practice section, two small ones with wood men or heavy bags, and the center chamber -- a large practice area bearing weapon racks on the far wall. To the furthest left corner rest the weight benches and machines. To the right, against the back wall, is the cool-down area. The small cool-down area is decorated with pillows and an ornate antique tea set. Optionally, there are cornered off screens that students can change behind on the first floor when only a few students are present. The main changing areas lie just behind this area, under the stairs leading up to the second floor offices. There is one changing room for women and one for men. A pair of tiger statues guard the stairs leading up. Offices and the supply room (where uniforms and other training equipment are stored) are found here. There are also two offices, a sauna, and a small shower room.
Directly to the back of the kwoon are two doors. One door leads to a small emergency room, where people can treat injuries until medical attention can be sought. The other is a large sliding glass door leading to the beautiful courtyard. Open enough to practice in, it still boasts a small garden and man-made stream. The overall design makes one think of the Forbidden City, with oriental tigers and dragons keeping watch. The stream has colorful fish that dart to and fro. Over the mouth of the stream stands a statue of a giant Fu Lion, striped like a tiger. At the courtyard's center is a giant oak, its limbs shading a good portion of the courtyard. Beneath the tree the kwoon’s head instructor erected a plaque giving thanks and asking that his ancestors watch over this place and all those who come here to learn with open heart and mind. The wall around the back courtyard is about thirteen feet tall. It is made entirely of rough-hewn stone. Narrow slits exist in the wall to allow students to look outside, and to help light the place during the day. It has two doors in the wall, which are locked from the inside: one for deliveries that a car could enter, the other for personal entrance.
OOC: Most of the kwoon is open to visitors as well as members, though there are supernatural wards and guardians in place. This is the home base for the House of Yizhi and although the Shih and their comrades have a safehouse further within the kwoon (look to the link on the left on jinrui), all of the property is under their strict supervision. Behave unless you want "mere mortals" beating your ass.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 7
LA-PIC (public library)
The LA-PIC (Little Asia Public Information Center) is the sole public library in Little Asia. Its recent construction bears starkingly clean marble walls as it stands snugly between two four-story government office buildings. The library rises almost three stories, angles well-rounded to prevent feng shui disruption. Gilded steps lead up from the sidewalk to the only entrance between two pillars. Heavy, brass double doors stand next to a dark-paned revolving door. Close inspection of the entrance area reveals a security camera in the corner of the ceiling, panning slowly over the doorways.
Through the doors one enters a linoleum-tiled hall. The white tiles keep the room bright, yet even upon entrance the stuffiness and sterility of the library becomes evident. Immediately to one’s right rests the check-out counter that extends twenty yards over to the main hall’s west wall. Here is where one takes care of business with the library: checking out or returning books, acquiring a membership card, obtaining information, and otherwise requesting help. To pass beyond into the main hall, a head-high set of laser-scanners makes sure no one tries to thieve the library of its public materials.
The main hall is decorated only with padded benches and a few prints of famous artworks. Opposite the check-out counter is a corner of benches, chairs, and tables for communal study or chats. It rises all the way to the top of the second floor but guard rails are all that the entrancee can make out from here. The main hall gives into multiple corridors, each lined with shelves of books. Fiction works are the first array of literature that the patron encounters. Beyond that begins the multi-media section, with a variety of audio and video cassettes that can be borrowed like most of the library’s books. The multiple halls link into a rear path that leads to a few chairs and small tables as well as another librarian counter.
Past the counter is a set of stairs and an elevator (for the handicapped namely). The short flight of stairs leads up to the second floor. Here is the true resource of the LA-PIC: the extensive non-fiction and reference sections. Newspapers, magazines, multiple up-to-date encyclopedia collections, and reference of every sort line the eastern side of the private study desk-lined area. A host of non-fiction works, historical, scientific, political, cultural, and more are found to the west. Overall, the library boasts over 100,000 books, and constantly strives to update its selection. To the north stands another librarian counter manned by at least three aides. A door reading “restricted” leads to a small office area behind the counter, and only the head librarian has access here. Just besides the counter stands a door that leads to the study/meeting rooms. These rooms must be reserved ahead of time, but are often used as meeting places for various clubs and groups. This also includes the computer room, allowing Internet connection (of course, there is an aide present here) on almost a dozen monitors. Another security camera can also be seen in the corner of this room, always observant. And censorship does exist; downloading computer pornography is out of the question!
Overall, the library is a clean and bright building, marred only by a sense of sterility in its maintained order and stuffiness in its quiet warmth (the heat seems to be on even in the summer).
OOC: The library is open to anyone, though even visiting the library requires a membership card. The levels below are both secret and strictly forbidden: Technocracy territory!
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 9
Mountain View (hotel)
Twenty-four floors of well-lit, spacious apartments keep the Mountain View Hotel as the number one spot for tourists and visitors to the Little Asia district. With affordable rates -- from $100 to $175 a night -- and great views of the colorful district from nearly every room, the Mountain View is understandably popular. The building has a cylindrical design, and many rooms have small patio decks as well. Cable/pay television and room service is available to every patron. The hotel even boasts an indoor spa and small fitness center. With 144 rooms, the hotel caters to a large assortment of visitors from around the world all year long. And with its central location in Little Asia, it is one of the first and most impressive buildings one comes across.
OOC: The hotel is open 24:7, though check-in is available only up until midnight. Security is lax, relying on guests to keep their doors locked, and observant receptionists. Two security guards make steady rounds with a day and night shift.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 8
Museum of Art & History (museum)
Within Little Asia, the academic or curious mind will discover the Museum of Art & History. As its location suggests, the museum specializes in Asian artifacts and studies. The halls of this broad one-story (save for the off-limits basement) museum are testament to a variety of ethnic collections. One will find prints, sculptures, tapestries, relics, ancient scrolls, urns, and sarcophagi from Japan, China, Korea, India, Thailand, and recently from the rest of Southeast Asia. In addition, perhaps due to popular interest, sections devoted to Near and Middle Eastern cultures are found alongside a classic Egyptian exhibit. The museum is cheap to visit and open everyday. Though small compared to other museums, this one boasts its rich diversity proudly. No wonder that it reels in such generous grants!
OOC: The museum is open everyday during normal business hours. Those hours extend from 10-6 on weekdays, and 9-6 on weekends. The museum possesses standard security measures.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 8
Rankaben (amphitheater)
Another cultural trophy of Little Asia, the Rankaben Amphitheater plays to the district’s more refined residents. Traditional performances, particularly noh and kabuki, are year-round weekend delights. The cylinder-shaped theater encircles a broad stage that employs state-of-the-art under-floor transition equipment. The gentle lighting and coloration of the walls and ceiling put visitors at relaxed ease. The plush seats make space for up to five thousand visitors though regular performances rarely garner that much patronage. Ramps and corridors intertwine through the theater, leading visitors to bars and food stands. Everyone who visits relishes the opportunity for a future visit to the Rankaben.
OOC: Regular season tickets cost up to $100. Special performances can cost much more, though such events are usually charity-related.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 7
The Serpent Teacup (restaurant)
The building itself is rather plain on the outside. It is brick-walled and nothing that screams, "Hey, this is a den of vice!" Yet within it is a slightly different story. The only ornamentation allowed without are a pair of red doors embossed with five symbols: Dragon, Crane, Panther, Serpent, and the Tiger which is elevated above them all. Inside, it is reminiscent of infamous gambling parlors in Hong Kong. This one seems to have a special sense of style to it as if the owner was sending a subtle message to those who frequent the establishment. At every table is a different statue of one of the animals of the Chinese mythology. The tiger, however, stands at a large table in the corner. As always the place seems awash with activity and that’s regardless of the hour. Many Asian "gentlemen" of various cultures and races are at separate tables, conducting business of a more dubious sort. Although never to openly admit it, several if not all are part of the Asian underworld in one way or another. Surprising, these various organizations are not at each other's throats, and in fact seem amicable to each other. Perhaps it is the several doormen that strips each one of them of their weapons before entering. Or perhaps it is the silent proprietor who merely keeps a watch on things.
Besides those of dubious patronage, several more "innocent" people frequent this place. Perhaps they succumb to the vices that they crave: drugs, sex, alcohol, gambling. You name it and it is here except for two unforgivable perversions: child pornography and prostitution. Although most remain mainstream with their appetites, there was a time when these unspeakable acts were attempted and the proprietor had to take a hand. Five entered his place of business voicing loud opinions and only four left; pale and shaken. The fifth remained a fixture in his office to deter any repeat attempts (his head lies pickled in a jar on one of the owner's bookshelves). Despite the disturbing air about the place, its decor is above reproach. It appears flashy yet docile enough to make a Zen master feel at home in some parts. Although few people can hold such sway in an operation such as this the owner seems to manage well enough. No matter the reason, décor, or content, the measures against intrusion are adequate. Both from the police (through well-placed bribes) and the Asian underworld (as this is held as a neutral staging-ground for all organizations) does the Serpent Teacup remain a sinuous “necessary evil” of Little Asia.
OOC: This place is open to customers and visitors, with security measures as noted above.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 8
The Winter Sun (night club)
The newest Little Asian night club exists along the northeastern fringes of the district bordering the lower-middle class residential sections of the city beyond. The street on which it stands is pale gray with age and splotched with oil stains. Silver bell-decorated street lamps stand at regular increments, though only some function when the sun sets. Older buildings serving as ailing storefronts and residence complexes surround the converted warehouse. Some rise tall and faded, others squat and greasy. Beside and behind the club, space has been provided for plenty of parking. A rear door of metal stands, though it's marked "employees only" and remains securely locked. The Winter Sun's henna-shaded brick walls are without sign or symbol, although wall-mounted light fixtures shed plenty of illumination on the single red door on the sidewalk entrance. A small sign rests at the side of the door, which is kept locked during off-hours, denoting the night club's hours. When open to its growing nightly crowd of patrons, this door is easily opened into the entrance corridor.
The entrance corridor engulfs the patrons in darkness before they reach a glass booth. A young woman accepts the cover charge of $20.00 here for all those who at seem to be eighteen or older. A rotating bar panel limits passage into the club to one person at a time, allowing the stern, thick-muscled bouncer standing behind the booth to better handle trouble-makers and deadbeats. A digital post board hung high on the booth glass pierces the lightlessness of the corridor, bombarding guests with flashy messages. Often, the post board alerts guests to which bands are playing the club that night. The Winter Sun is renowned for its ability to attract some of the hottest performers in the region and has even catered to a few national artists. The cover charge is quite decent for a club of this caliber!
Past the entrance corridor is overwhelming night-life fervor of many colors. The glossy floor sparkles with crystalline clarity and many five-chaired, round, and wooden tables dot the vast chamber in seemingly random locations. The circular hall is large enough to encompass hundreds of patrons for all their needs, spanning a hundred square yards. Normal illumination scarcely exists and instead dozens of large, industrial-strength black lights hang from the ceiling. Eerie shadows are cast onto the floor and bleach-white walls that seem to reflect the strange light enough to create comfortable illumination. Wisping through the black lights is smoke from cigarettes and sometimes smoke machines, but a heavy-duty fan set high in the upper ceiling of the building keeps air circulation high, and several ventilation shafts draw the bad air in to keep the club surprisingly breathable.
The dozens of tables' arrangement does not offend the center of attention. The wide-open central dance floor is typically thick with jamming and grinding dancers dressed for the night out. In the heart of it all rises a wide dais, and a live band of performers often occupies this special place. The dais only stands a couple feet up, and rope and a security team are the only things keeping the crowd from the musicians. Many kinds of musicians play the Winter Sun, although on most nights local rock bands dominate the scene. The club does in fact cater to youth, and so rock music of many different shades is the primary groove of the club. But the Winter Sun does not owe allegiance to any particular genre. Progressive, alternative, punk, hard, and classic rock all echo through the main hall.
The club also features a bar and interestingly, a medium-sized hot tub. Here is the only place in the club that ID is demanded when purchasing alcohol. Even the cigarette machine next to the other vending machines in the dark rear of the hall isn't watched. Though there is often a line to get a drink, the bartender is always polite, fast, and efficient. Beyond the bar is a short hall that leads to a pair of medium-sized and squeaky-clean bathrooms for each gender as well as an off-limits area for employees (break room and supply hall, which also connects to the rear exit). The hot tub is to add a different twist to the club scene, and it stands surrounded by a rail to the far eastern corner of the hall. It's watched over by club personnel at all time for safety and always kept clean. It's meant to be wholesome water fun and relaxation to the club-goers, so decency is mandated!
Directly to the right and left when entering the main hall stand two sets of spiralling stairs that would be dangerous for the average drunken barfly to ascend were it not for the handy guide-rails. The wooden stairs are carpeted red, finished rosewood gleaming from beneath. Both stairs lead to the second floor of the two-story structure. The thick floor prevents most sound from below, but the ventilation shafts resonate the music and throng eerily through the otherwise quieter floor. A long stretch filled with tables and booths along the wall, the second floor of the Winter Sun is darker than the first. Every table is lit with a pale lamp in its center, but no other illumination stands for patrons on this level. On the second floor, waiters in sharp red suits and waitresses in scanty red skirts attend to relaxing patrons' drink orders. Another bar stands on this floor for this purpose. The ceiling is only fifteen feet high, and beyond the soft white panels the steady whirring of a large fan can be heard during lulls in the music below.
OOC: For (apparent) age of 18+ only! Open to anyone during business hours.
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 7
1000 Hells Club (night club)
The 1000 Hells Club is a large, converted four story factory and warehouse located on the eastern edge of Little Asia, on the river. The bricks are charred and blackened artistically by flames. The theme extends to the vegetation outside the club as well, with sculpted trees that seems to be tormented and diabolic. The atmosphere inside is dark, haunting, and erotic, blending gothic horror with Asian anime-esque horror elements. The first floor is dominated by the dance floor, set to resemble the Hell of Flailing Sinners. Darkened booths line the back wall. All of the walls are lined with gothic and occult paintings and art work from nearly every culture: a showcase for local artists. When guests ascend to the second floor they are greeted by the evil beauty of the Hell of the Upside Down Sinners. The air is cool marked by a soft swish of waves in the water. The walls are covered in a giant mural of a dark, cold, and watery doom. Dim and eerie blue lights trail the floor, breaking into wave patterns. The bar dominates the second floor, placed in the center of the room like a safe haven from a watery grave. The third and last public level is a lounge dedicated to Emma-o. It stands as a dark chamber filled with disturbing scenes of lust, passion, and debauchery. Darkly erotic and sensual art work depicting Emma-o dominate the room. Black pillows lay about inviting all to lay on them and enjoy.
OOC: Open to anyone (apparently) 18 years old or over during business hours! Note that there are a few "VIP" sections forbidden to pretty much anyone but the owner of the club, it seems. (One such area doubles as a Haunt for the wraiths of the Court of the Silver Censer; see the link to the left on senzo.)
Zone: Cultural Heart
Wall: 7/6 (Inner Chamber/wraith sanctuary)
